House Committee Seeks Interview with Andrew in Epstein Inquiry

A US congressional committee investigating sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein has reached out to Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly Britain’s Prince Andrew, requesting that he submit to a deposition as part of its investigation into Epstein’s illegal activities.

In a letter released on Thursday, a US representative, the leading Democrat on the House investigative committee, asked that King Charles III’s sibling help with its inquiry.

The official demand to provide testimony arrives a week after Mountbatten Windsor was lost his HRH style and agreed to give up his leased home in Windsor.

Documents and Accusations

Mountbatten Windsor’s name features in papers and aviation records obtained from Epstein’s estate and publicly released by the committee. He has also been alleged by one of Epstein’s victims, the late Virginia Giuffre, of abuse.

“The committee will probe claims of abuse by Mountbatten Windsor, and will demand information on Epstein’s network, circle, and accomplices based on the men’s long-term and well-documented friendship,” the committee said in a press release.

It demanded particulars from Mountbatten Windsor on particulars of his friendship with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York detention facility in 2019. Andrew has always strongly denied any misconduct.

Substance of the Communication

“It has been documented that your friendship with Mr Epstein started in 1999 and that you remained close through and after his 2008 guilty verdict for trafficking underage girls for commercial sex acts,” the letter said.

It stated further: “It has also been claimed that you journeyed with Epstein to his New York residence, the Queen’s home at Balmoral, and to Mr Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, where you have been accused of abusing young girls. This strong bond with Mr Epstein, along with the newly disclosed 2011 digital communication in which you wrote to him ‘we are in this together’, further bolsters our belief that you may have key insights about the crimes committed by Mr Epstein and his accomplices.”

A notification regarding the letter said it was co-signed by 13 other Democrats on the committee and asks a response by 20 November.

Previous Comments and Assistance

The letter arrives a week after another Democrat on the committee commented: “Andrew should be called to appear before the oversight committee. The public should be able to know who was harming women and underage individuals alongside Epstein.”

However, the lawmaker does not possess the power to compel the former prince and Congress itself cannot force evidence from a non-US citizen.

In 2020, US authorities said that Mountbatten Windsor did not respond to US requests for an discussion. The then US attorney for the southern district of New York said that lawyers and the FBI had contacted Andrew’s lawyers to inquire on his previous pledge that he was “prepared to help any relevant law enforcement agency”.

“It’s just for people to know whether Prince Andrew has honored with that assurance,” the attorney said, adding that to date he had “offered no cooperation”.

Calls for Accountability

The congressman said in a announcement that “affluent and well-connected men have evaded accountability for far too long. Now, ex- Prince Andrew has the option to tell the truth and secure justice for the affected individuals. We will not stop fighting for answerability and transparency for survivors of Epstein and his gang of co-conspirators.”

Another supporter, a Virginia Democrat, said that after receiving evidence to the committee from Epstein’s victims, as well as public reporting of released files, “it is vital that Andrew assists with the ongoing probe. If he is not guilty, then he can vindicate himself.”

The lawmaker added: “And if not, our probe will demonstrate that, and the survivors will receive much-delayed accountability. The Royal Family’s actions removing Andrew of his titles show there is additional to this case.”

The letter was sent on the same day the British king officially stripped Mountbatten Windsor of his princely title. Charles III publicly made the change – which had been declared a week ago – by issuing a “letters patent” which the crown office published in the Gazette, the UK’s government journal.